Wedge-level reamer



l atent ed iul 4, 1.95s 7 i Vaughan Thompson, Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada 7 Application November 28, 1950, Serial No. 197,900

My invention relates to new and useful immovements in wedge-level reamers for use in the -mining operation of wedging-off abranch hole from the main drill hole at the level at which a wedging assembly is situated; an object of my invention being to. provide a device of the character herewithinv described whereby the wedgingoff operation is facilitated by the reamed removal of the obtuse angled rock shoulder which would otherwise interfere with the use of relatively long core barrel sections. It will be appreciated that when the drill bit is wedged-off, the new drill hole is inclined from the origina'l drill hole thereby causing an angled shoulder in the rock against which the following drill-rod sections bear with subsequent bending thereto. V A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which incorporates what I define as flexible joints in order to relieve the strain on the drill-rod sec-' tions when deviating from the original drilling at the wedge-level until the aforementioned rock shoulder has been reamed so that a progressive arc is formed which facilitates passage therepast of the following drill-rod sections and more particularly the core barrel which has a diameter slightly largerthan said drill-rod sections.

Another object of my invention is to provide a 3 Claims. (01. 255 -115) other objects and advantages as will become ap-' parent to those skilled in the art-to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularlydescribed, reference being ha to the accompanying drawings in which: v Figure 1 is aschematic view of my device shown in use with a conventional coring bit and reaming shell and shown within a drill hole at wedgelevel.

Figure 2 is an. enlarged'sectional view of my flexible joint. 1

- Figure 3 is an enlarged partially sectioned view showing'the assembly of the reaming-bit between the lead reaming-bar andthe trail'reaming-bar.

Figure 4 is a schematic view of an original drillhole with the wedge in position and a branch hole wedged-01f.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

scribed, the use of which reduces thefrictional' interference of the rock with the drill-rod sections and core barrel at wedge-level. 1

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the. character herewithin described,

whereby the recovery is facilitated of lost equip- Withtheforegoing objects in view, and such In the art of rock drilling and particularly with relation to what is known as core sampling, ex-. tensive use is being made of a retrieva'ble wedge assembly whereby a further drilling may be made at an angle from the original drilling at any desired depth either for the purpose of extending the scope of the rock core sampling or to correct a drill hole which'may havedeviated from the desired direction. Irrespective of the rate of deviation caused by the wedge assembly, an obtuse angled shoulder is formed upon the Wall of the drilling opposite the wedge at wedge-level, which interferes with the passage therepast of the core barrel andrthe following drill-rod sections. Due to thi shoulder considerable strain and frictional interference is imposed upon the equipment and the effective length of core barrel that may be used is seriously reduced.

The present invention incorporates one or more reaming-bits which, in conjunction with oneor more flexible couplings or joints, removesthis obtuse angled shoulder as the assembly passes the wedge thereby producing a progressive are past which the drilling equipment may pass more readily.

Proceedingnowto describe my, invention in detail itwill be seen from reference to the accompanying drawings that I have illustrated in Figure 4 thereof a schematic sectional view of a main drill hole I continuing downwardly as at 2 and having a wedge 3 the location of which I desigmate as wedge-level. A branch hole 4 is shown wedged-off from the main hole I and in this view, both the wedge '3 and the angle of the V The trailing end 24' branch hole 4 have been exaggerated for clarity. K

It will be seen upon reference to this view that an obtuse angulated shoulder 5 is formed and sage thereby of the core barrel causing frictional interference at this point also with the possibility of bending or fiexingof the barrel taking place.

My drilling and reaming assemblycollectively designated 1 is shown in situ in Figure 1 of the of the reaming-bar I4 is reduced in diameter and threaded to be. receivable'within the aforementioned drilling 29 of the coupling 26 and-when in position, an annular accompanying drawings and the primary purpose of this assembly is to remove the aforemen- "tioned shoulder in order that the branch hole 4 may be provided with a progressively curved wall as shown by the broken line in phantomat 8 in Fig. 4.

My assembly comprises a leading-section .9

manufactured preferably from a length of conventional core-barrelling which has been reduced in transverse diameter in order to clear the afore-.

mentioned shoulder 5. A conventional reaming shell I0 is secured to'the leading-end of section 9 and is provided with a leading end drill-bit H which may take the form of either a'bull nose oricoring bit. I 5 c A primary flexible coupling or joint [2 is screw-threadably attached to the opposite end. [3 of the leading-section i and to a lead reamingbar 14. The flexible joint I2 is clearly illustratedin Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawingsand comprises, in this embodiment, a socket I5 which screW-threadably attaches to the aforementioned leading-section 9. and is'provided with a castellatedupper surface I! formed within an upper socket 58' which in turn is screwthreadably secured to the reaming-bar I4. v

A bolt l9 acts as a connector between sockets i5 and 18 passing through an aperture 20 within socket IE to be received within a corresponding aperture 2| within the socket l8 to which it is 'screw-threadably attached. In assembly, clearance/as'shown at- 22 is provided between .the' interfaces of the castellated portions l6 and I? thereby permitting rotary motion to be, transmitted from one to the other and at the same time permitting misalignment betweenthe two parts. In this connection it should be observed that a centrally located passageway or drilling 23 is provided withinbolt l9 to permit passage f therethrough of water in'the conventional manner.

A fluted ferrule 24 is included above the flexible joint i2 having a diameter approximately equal tothe diameter of the drill-hole against which it bears thereby acting as what I'define as a leading-end section centering component which prevents-the drill-bit I I from deviating or spirally curving by providing a support to the rear thereof. This ferrule, which is hereinafter to be described, is'best shown in Fig. 3 of the accom-- panying drawings. I V The trailing end 24' of the lead reaming-bar I4 is provided with a primary reaming bit 25 secured within a coupling 26 details of which are,

space 30 remains between'the end 24' and the wall of the socket 28. The reaming-bit 25, which is of conventional design, is centrally apertured and capable of free sliding movement over the reaming bar I l to be screw threadably secured within theaforementionedsocket 28; asjclearly shown in Fig. 3. In this context it should be observed that the reaming surface 3] of the bit 25 is of a larger diameter than that of the coupling 26,.thereby. permitting the bit to bear against the shoulder 5 of the drill-hole I.

A trailing reaming-bar 32 screws into the soeket 21 of the coupling 26 and in this connection I,

have provided a further fluted ferrule 33 being slightly reduced in diameter to the ferrule 24 hereinbefore mentioned lin order to permitthebit 25 to operate. This ferrule; which is cylindrical in design, may be adapted toybe'screwthread-ably secured to the engaging end 34 of the trailing reaming-bar 32 or may be held between shoulder 35 of the bar 32 and the upper end 36 ofthe coupling asillustrated in this embodiment.- I have provided asecondary-reaming-bit31inthe vicinity-of the trailingjendrofthe trail ream-' ing-bar 32and secured thereto-by means of a further coupling 38 similarinconstruction to coupling 26 hereinbefore described. i

To the. upper end te-of-the coupling 38 is attached an underlength' drill-rod section 39 which is provided with a secondary flexible coupling or joint 49 at the trailing end thereof which in turn is connected by means of a standard drillrod coupling to a conventionaldrill-rod section In operation the device is assembled as shown in Fig. 1 and in this connection it is to be appreciated -that,, if desired, further reaming-bitsoff now commences and as the leading-section 9 passes the wedge 3'the aforementioned shoulder 5 isformed. This shoulder does not interfere with the passageof the leading-section due to the reduced diameter thereof and the fiexible joint l2vfacilitates the transference of the rotary drive to the leading-section by acting as a semiuniversal' joint. The'full-sized ferrule 24, which is provided with vertically disposed flutes-24", within the external wall thereof to reduce frictional interference, maintains the drill-bit H in the desired direction 'as hereinbefcre described and the primary reaming-bit 2.5 reams the shoulder 5 as it passes thereby-assisted by the secondary reaming-bit 21 which completes the-operation thus forming a smooth contour as shown in phantom by the reference character S'in Figure 4.'

In this connection it is to be appreciated that the leading-section 9 is drilled concentricallyto provide a water hole connection to the drill-bit l l andthat this drilling communicates via drilling 23 within the flexible joint E2 to a concentric drilling 42 within the "lead reaming-bar it. This drilling 42 communicates in turn with the coupling 2t and thence to'a further drilling 43 with made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter containedin the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In the mining operation of wedging-ofi a branch hole at wedge-level, and for use with a "set of drill-rod sections, a drilling and reaming assembly for the purpose specified, comprising in combination a leading-section, a leading-end drill-bit attached thereto, a flexible joint connected to the trailing end of said leading-section,

a lead reaming-bar connected to said flexible joint, a leading-end section centering component ing in combination a leading-section, a leadingend'drillebit attached thereto, a flexible joint connected to the trailing end of said leadingsection, a lead reaming-bar connected to said flexible joint, a leading-end section centering component adjacently connected between said ream-bar and said leading, section a primary reaming bit secured adjacent to said lead reaming bar trailing end, a trail reaming-bar connected to said lead reaming bar, a ferrule be- 6 tween said lead and trail reaming bars, a secondary reaming bit secured adjacent to the trailing end of said trail reaming-bar, and an underlength drill-rod section connected to the trailing end of said trail reaming-bar. a

3. In the mining peration of wedging-ofi a branch hole at wedge-level, and for use with a set of drill-rod sections, a drilling and reaming assembly for the purpose specified, comprising in combination a leading-section, a leading-end drill-bit attached thereto, a primary flexible joint connected to the" trailing end of said leadingsection, a lead reaming-bar connected to said flexible joint, a leading-end section centering component adjacently connected between said 7 lead reaming-bar and said leading section a.

primary reaming bit secured adjacent to said lead reaming-bar trailing-end, a trail reaming-bar connected t said lead reaming-bar, a ferrule between said lead and trail reaming bars, a secondary reaming bit secured adjacent to the trailing end of said trail reaming bar, an underlength drill-rod section connected to the trailing end of said trail reaming-bar, and a secondary flexible joint at the trailing end of said underlength drillrod section and connecting the same to the first or leading standard drill-rod section.

VAUGHAN THOMPSON,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Number Name Date 1,902,174 Lewis Mar. 21, 1933 2,069,603 Earley Feb. 2,193? 2,197,991 Wright Apr. 23, 1940 2,292,268

Gibbons et al. Aug. 4, 1942* 

